Locking-type slider for slide fasteners



April 7, 1959 J. E. BURBANK 2,880,489

LOCKING-TYPE SLIDER FOR SLIDE: FAsTENERs Filed July z, 1954 2 sheets-sheet 1 F'IG.|.

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INVENTOR JOHN E. BURBANK HlzrroRNEYs April 7, 1959 J. E. BURBANK f LOCKING-TYPE; SLIDER FOR SLIDE FAsTENERs Filed July 2, 1954 /NVENTOR JOHN E BURBANK BY W. H/SATIORNEYS United States Patent LOCKING-TYPE SLIDER FoR sLmE FASTENERS John E. Burbank, Stamford, Coun., assignor, by mesue assignments, to Cue Fastener, Inc., a corporation of New -York Application July 2, 1954, Serial No. 441,010

3 Claims. (Cl. 24'205.14)

This invention relates to improvements in slide fasteners and it relates particularly to an improved locking-type slider for such slide fasteners.

Locking sliders for slide fasteners are generally of two types. One type of slider includes a cam member which upon rocking movement of the tab `on the slider jams against the surface of the fastener teeth to hold the slider in locked position thereby preventing inadvertent opening or separation of the rows of fastening elements.

Because of the nature of the cam type of locking slider, it requires considerable pressure to close it and because the lock is a frictional one, the lock does not always remain closed. Moreover, once the cam lock is unlocked, it tends to resist relocking itself upon opening movement of the slider. Moreover, the pressure exerted by the camming means has a tendency to deform the fastener teeth or elements and thereby ultimately cause rough operation or jamming of the slider.

The second type of locking slider includes a pin on the tab of the slider, the pin being arranged so that as the slider tab is pushed down, it will enter between the teeth or -other fastening elements of the slide fastener. While this type of fastening element does not have the same disadvantages as the cam type lof locking slider, it has others. For example, the pin in its closed position can actually dig into and damage the zipper teeth or elements if pressure is applied to the tab. Moreover, a ratcheting action may result as the slider is moved along the fastening elements by means of the tab, due to engagement of the locking pin with the fastening elements. Such a ratcheting action scratches the surfaces of the fastener elements and thereby renders them unsightly and rough in operation. Moreover, the locking tab has a tendency to open so that the pin type of slider frequently comes unfastened and allows unwanted opening of the slide fastener.

In accordance with the present invention, I have provided a new type of fastening or locking member for a slider for a slide fastener which avoids the disadvantages of both the cam and pin type locking devices. The new type slider is particularly useful with the so-called spiral slide fasteners, but it can also be used with the tooth or cup type of fasteners which are well-known in the art. More particularly, the new type of slider includes a locking lever which also serves as a pull tab, the lever having a tongue or flange on its inner end that engages between cooperating but disengaged fastening elements such as the teeth, hooks or coils of a slide fastener. The position of the locking member with respect to the fastening elements is such that in its locked or unlocked position, it cannot have any damaging action on the engaged fastener elements of the fastener, in fact, if the opening stresses on the slide fastener become excessive while the slider is in locked position, the fastener will open without damage to the fastener components by virtue of relative movement and deflection of the fastener elements around the locking tongue of the slider. This effect isparticularly available in the coil type of fastener which usually in- 2,880,489 Patented Apr. 7, 1959` ice 2 cludes resilient plastic or metal coils that may be deformed without damage thereto.

The location of the locking tongue and the mount-for the tab and tongue are such that upon inadvertent opening of the slider and movement thereof, the tongue will tend to relock with the fastener elements. Moreover, the tab for operating the locking mechanism and for moving the slider is so arranged with respect to the body of the slider that cocking or twisting of the slider relative to the fastening elements is to a large degree overcome and better controlled and easier sliding movement of the slider is obtained thereby.

A further advantage of the new type of slider is that all sharp points or corners that might damage clothing or the skin are eliminated or covered so that the slider is much more convenient in-use and particularly in concealed types of fasteners where interference has heretofore occurred between the slider and the covering fabric or the like.

For a better understanding of the present invention, reference may be had to the accompanying drawing yin which:

Fig. 1 is a view in side elevation of a typical form of slider embodying the present invention with the manipu lating and locking tab in the closed or locked postion;

Fig. 2 is a plan view of the sliderv shown in Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a view in end elevation of the slider;

Fig. 4 is a view in side elevation of the slider with the locking tab raised and in the opened position;

Fig. 5 is a perspective View of the manipulating and locking tab of the slider detached from the'remainder of the slider;

Fig. 6 is a diagrammatic plan view of a coil fastener illustrating the relation of the locking tongue of the slider with respect to the coils when in a locked position;

Fig. 7 is a view in side elevation illustrating the relation of the locking tongue to the coil of the slide fastener;

Fig. 8 is a perspective view of a modified type of locking tab before assembly to the slider;

Fig. 9 is a view in cross-section of a portion of the slider adjacent to the end of the tab illustrating the procedure involved in connecting the tab and locking member to the slider;

Fig. l0 is a perspective view of the tab showing its appearance after it has been shaped in assembling it to the slider;

Fig. 1l is a view in side elevation and partly broken away of an automatic locking slider;

Fig. 12 is a plan View of the slider shown in Fig. 11 with the locking tab in a raised and released position, the slider being partly broken away to disclose details thereof; and

Fig. 13 is a plan view of the locking tab for the slider viewed from below.

The invention will be described with reference to a slider suitable for use with a coil type of slide fastener of the kind shown in the Wahl Patent No. 2,300,442, dated November 3, 1942. In this fastener, the locking elements are formed of generally helically Wound coils of a plastic or metal filament of resilient nature, thev laments themselves being of generally oblong crosssection and suitably spaced so that the coils interlock with each other in a closed position. However, it willv be understood that the slider is equally useful with the so-called hook, tooth or cup type of the locking fastener involving separately formed interlocking metal or plastic teeth secured to the edge of a fabric or the like.

Referring now to Figs. 1 to 3 of the drawing, a typical slider includes a top plate 10` and a bottom plate 11 which are connected near their forward ends by means ofy an oval island 12 which serves to part the stringers of fas-i tener elements and to guide them into interlocking rela# tion with the aid of the depending side anges 13 and 14 at each edge of the top and bottom plates respectively. As best shown in Fig. 2, the top and bottom plates may have flared leading Vends 15 and 16 which are provided with semicircular leading edges 17 and 18.- The configuration of these edges may be varied considerably. The rearward or trailing portions of the top and bottom plates 10 and 11 `are of generally rectangular configuration and, as viewed in Fig. 3, are generally U-shaped or channel shaped in cross-section due to the presence of the anges 13 and 14 thereon.

A slider rail 20 is formed about centrally of the upper plate 10 and extends lengthwise of it. The slider rail may be formed as an integral part of the slider or as a separate element that is brazed or otherwise secured to the upper plate 10. A hole 21 is formed in the upper plate 10 about midway of its length below and extending outwardly on opposite sides of the lower edge of the rail 20. As indicated in Fig. 2, the hole 21 may be generally of rectangular shape and has its greatest dimension transversely of the slider behind the island 12. The hole 21 serves as the supporting and guiding means for a pull tab 23 which incorporates the locking and guiding function of the slider. As thus shown in Fig. 5, the slider 23 has a solid generally rectangular tab portion 24 which is provided with an opening 25 therein near its left-hand end, to straddle the right-hand end of the rail 20 as shown in Figs. 1 and 2. The forward end of the rectangular body 24 is bent downwardly to form an arcuate locking tongue 26 which extends generally at a right angle to the plane of the body 24 and is of such length that it will extend into the space between the upper and lower plates to effect a locking action in a manner presently to be described. Thus, the tongue 26 serves as a locking means and as the means for connecting the tab to the slider.

On opposite sides of the downwardly bent tongue 26 are upwardly curved or directed wings 28 and 29 which serve to prevent the cocking of the slider during its movement in a manner to be described.

It will be apparent from Fig. l, that the upper edge of the tongue 26 engages the undersurface of the rail 20 when the tab 24 is pushed down parallel with the top plate of the slider and that the tongue 26 is rocked up into the hole 21 to disengage the slide fastener elements when the tab 23 is lifted perpendicular to the top plate 20 as shown in Fig. 4. Movement of the tab 23 beyond the vertical position or substantially vertical position is prevented by means of the wings 28 and 29 which bear against the outside of the top plate 10 while the tongue 26 bears against the underside of the rail 20. Due to the stiffness of the connection between the tab 23 and the slider, tilting or cooking of the slider is to a large degree prevented and better control over and alignment of the slider with the fastener elements is obtained by such a connection.

It is observed further that the arrangement of the tongue is such that movement of the slider to the right, as viewed in Figs. 1 and 4, will tend to cause the tooth or tongue 26 to engage with elements of the fastener and rock it to closed position upon movement of the slider to the right which is its direction of movement to open the fastener.

The action of the locking mechanism is best understood by reference to Figs. 6 and 7 of the drawing. Shown therein is a coil type fastener 30 including interlocking coils 31 and 32 formed of plastic or similar laments and which tend to interlock when brought together to close the fastener element. The tooth or tongue 26 is shown in its closed position and in its normal relation to the coil fasteners in any adjusted position of the slider along the fastener. Due to the fact that the tongue 26 is close to the trailing edge of the island 12 as shown in Fig. l, it engages between unengaged convolutions of the fastener. It doesnot act upon engaged fastener elements and cannot crush or deform the convolutions of the coils that are engaged with each other. It thereby has less tendency to damage the coils than other prior locking devices. Moreover, as indicated in Figs. 1 and 7, the tongue 26 extends only part way into the coils so that under unusually high opening stress the coils can slide by the tongue 26 allowing the fastener to open without damaging or deforming the coils. Moreover, the tongue has the desirable effect of producing an additional locking action by deecting convolutions, such as the convolutions 34 and 35, out of their normally staggered relation into opposed relation so that they resist meshing with each other and resulting shifting of the slider to the left as viewed in Figs. 6 and 7.

Another form of locking tab and method of attaching it to the slider are illustrated in Figs. 8 to 10 of the drawings. As shown in Fig. 8, a modified form of tab 50 includes a body portion 51 having spaced apart arms 52 and 53 to straddle the rail 54 on the slider body 55, as shown in Fig. 9. The forward ends of the arms 52 and 53 are bent down to form teeth 56 and 57 which extend through the opening 58 on opposite sides of the rail 54.

In order to secure the tab to the slider body 55, a hardened block 59 is slipped into the rear end of the slider body 55 in a position underlying the teeth 56 and 57 and the tab is then driven downwardly to cause the curved surface 60 of the block to bend the teeth 56 and 57 inwardly into engagement thereby forming an arcuate tongue portion similar to the tongue portion 26 shown in Fig. 5. The inwardly bent teeth 56 and 57 serve to connect the tab to the slider body and also as the locking element of the slider thereby enabling sliders to be produced in which the rail 54 is integral with the remainder of the slider body. Wings 61 and 62 are formed on the outer edges of the arms 52 and 53 to limit the pivoting movement of the tab as described above.

Sliders of the type described above can be modified to improve their tendency to lock themselves when the locking tab thereon is released. Such an automatic locking slider is illustrated in Figs. ll, 12 and 13 of the drawings.

The modified slider includes a slider body 70 generally of the type described above having an upper plate 71 and a lower plate 72 which are to be disposed above and below the fastener elements of the slide fastener. A rail 73 is mounted on the upper plate 71 and extends across or bisects the opening 74, 75 in the plate through which the locking tongue 76 of the locking tab 77 projects.

As illustrated particularly in Fig. 13, the locking tab 77 in this form of slider includes a pair of resiliently connected arms 78 and 79 defining an opening 80 therebetween to straddle the rail 73. On the ends of the arms 78 and 79 are downwardly curved locking tongue elements 81 and 82 which have their ends adjacent to but not joined to each other. Inasmuch as the arms 78 and 79 are joined resiliently, the locking tongue elements 81 and 82 can spring apart but are normally urged into engagement with each other. The springiness of the locking tab 77 is utilized to normally urge it into its locking position as shown in Fig. 11. This result is obtained by providing the rail 73 with upwardly diverging and rearwardly converging lateral sides 83 and 84 which are received between the straight confronting edges 85 and 86 of the tab 77. The outward and rearward inclination of the edges 83 and 84 is such that when the tab 77 is lifted to a position substantially perpendicular to the plate 71, the edges 85 and 86 will slide up the sides 83 and 84 of the rail and thereby spread apart the locking tongue sections 81 and 82, as indicated in dotted lines in Fig. 12. In this condition, the springiness of the locking tab will tend to urge the locking tongue sections 81 and 82 together and thereby rock the tab into engagement with or parallel with the plate 71 with the tab in the locking position, as shown in Fig. 11.

' It will be understood that the undersurface of the plate 11 will have a suitable recess 88 thereinto receive the tongue sections 81 and 82 and to hold them to cause the tab to rock along the rail 73 and spring the tongue sections 81 and 82 apart.

This form of the invention also includes shoulders 89 and 90 on the tab 77 to engage the upper surface of the plate 71 and thereby stabilize the tab to facilitate the manipulation of the slider along the fastener elements.

From the preceding description, it will be apparent that I have provided sliders which provide a very strong locking action but, nevertheless, can move to release the fastener elements when the stresses on the fastener elements exceed a predetermined maximum. Moreover, the new types of sliders are less likely to damage or mar the fastening elements and they are much more readily manipulated without danger of cocking or jamming than the prior types of sliders.

The above-described sliders are compact and efficient and are of suitable dimensions and proportions to tit the several sizes of fastener elements. The locking tab in each of the forms of the invention is narrower than the slider body to impart a neater appearance to render the slider less conspicuous and also to prevent the tab from hooking onto and jamming against the material on which the fastener is mounted.

It will be understood that these sliders can be made in diterent sizes and shapes depending upon the size and type of fastening elements used therewith and that the tab may be spring or otherwise operated rather than manually operated to move it to closed position. Therefore, the forms of the invention disclosed herein should be considered as illustrative and not as limiting the scope of the following claims.

I claim:

1. A slide fastener comprising a slide member having upper and lower plates, an island adjacent to one end of said plates and connecting them and opposed guide flanges at the lateral edges of said plates, means forming an opening in the upper plate adjacent to said island, a rail element on said upper plate overlying said opening, an operating tab having spaced arms at one end thereof, said arms being disposed on opposite sides of said rail and having inwardly converging end portions extending between said rail and said upper plate, said end portions also being bent laterally to form a tongue movable with said tab between a position in which the tongue is received substantially completely in said opening in the upper plate when the tab is substantially perpendicular to said plates and another position -in which said tongue projects partially through said opening in the upper plate toward said lower plate when the tab is substantially parallel to said upper plate, shoulders on said arms engageable with said rail element to support said tab for rocking movement, and outwardly extending Wings on said arms for engaging said upper plate to hold said tab against lateral rocking movement relative to said plates when it is in a position substantially perpendicular to said plate.

2. A slider for a slide fastener comprising a member having upper and lower plates, an island connecting said plates adjacent one end thereof to form a space therebetween and opposed guide flanges at the lateral edges of said plates, a rail element on and extending lengthwise of one of said plates, said one of said plates having an opening therein extending transversely of it behind said island and below said rail element, an operating tab having an arcuate end portion disposed substantially perpendicular to said tab and positioned in said opening, said tab having an aperture between its ends to receive a portion of said rail element and allow movement of said tab between a rst position substantially parallel with said plates and a second position substantially perpendicular to said plates, projections on the sides of said tab adjacent to said end portion and engageable with said one of said plates to retract'said arcuate end portion into said opening when the tab is in said second position and to restrain said tab against lateral rocking movement and movement in a direction away from said first position when in said second position, and fulcrum means at said arcuate end portion engageable with said rail element for holding said arcuate end portion in said space when the tab is in Said first position.

3. A slider for a slide fastener comrising a member having upper and lower plates connected adjacent one end and defining a space therebetween to receive the fastening elements of a slide fastener, said plates having opposed guide flanges at their lateral edges, a pull tab for manipulating said member, spaced apart arms adjacent to one end of said tab, a tongue portion extending laterally in one direction from the ends of said arms, said tongue portion extending through said upper plate and connecting said tab pivotally to said upper plate, said tongue portion being movable into the space between said plates to engage said slide fastener and lock the slider against movement relative to said slide fastener, and movable out of said space to release said slider for sliding movement relative to the slide fastener and projections extending outwardly from the outer edges of said arms and in a direction opposite from said tongue portion for engaging said upper plate and restricting movement of said tab to a position substantially perpendicular to said upper plate upon movement of said tab to release said slider.

References Cited in the le of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,045,626 Winterhalter June 30, 1936 2,159,387 Kllmer May 23, 1939 2,223,279 Carlile Nov. 26, 1940 2,228,142 Marnsky Jan. 7, 1941 2,256,680 Lemmer Sept. 23, 1941 2,280,999 Carlile Apr. 28, 1942 2,322,847 Hartley June 29, 1943 FOREIGN PATENTS 370,212 Italy Apr. 11, 1939 

